Chair: Professor Mpho Jama
University of the Free State
Email: JamaMP@ufs.ac.za
vision and mission
Our vision is to enhance student development and support, thus contribute towards the academic success of students in health sciences education programmes.
Our mission is to facilitate communication and sharing of expertise among colleagues ultimately enhance student learning and student retention.
Background
Unlike other students at higher education institutions, students studying in health sciences education programmes have unique challenges. Therefore, they do not only require the generic support provided to any other university students but require specialised and context-specific development and support. For example, these students must manage high academic workload in which they are expected to integrate and apply pre and clinical knowledge This is very challenging for most students. Therefore, the establishment of the SAAHE SIG can enable colleagues/academics and experts who have a special interest in developing and supporting students to engage. Such a structure will enable sharing of expertise on such an important field in higher and health professions education.
Aim & objectives
The aim of the SIG is to provide a platform in which health professions educationalist can engage and share expertise in the field of student development and support.
The objectives of the SIG are:
- Establish membership by recruiting health professional educationists from different institutions to be part of the SIG
- Develop a strategy to engage on student development and support
- Develop mechanisms that will allow each member to contribute according to their different expertise/skills in the field of student development and support.
- Liaise with other higher education structures/programmes who share an interest in student development and support
actions
- The first action will be to recruit members from other institutions. Each member of the management team will be assigned a role of contacting stakeholders in the institutions.
- Secondly, the management team will organise a virtual meeting to introduce and orientate recruited members of the SIG
- Thirdly, the members will organise a virtual event in a form of seminar in which members discuss their institutional student development and support programmes/structures/strategies
- Organise and have a meeting during the SAAHE conference.
highlights
This SIG was established in 2021. Therefore, is still new
2021
- Meeting of the new leadership to develop a plan of action
- Recruitment of members
2022
- Mini colloquium with other members from UKZN, UFS, CUT, UJ, CUT
Plans for 2022
- Webinar in July (date will be confirmed)
committee members
Committee members
Name | Institution | Phone | |
Professor Mpho Jama
| University of the Free State | 051 401- 7771 | JamaMP@ufs.ac.za |
Dr Jeannette Du Plessis
| Central University of Technology | 051 507 3138 | duplesj@cut.ac.za |
Dr Pamela Pillay
| University of KwaZulu Natal | 031 312607789 | soobramoneypa@ukzn.ac.za |
To join any of our SIG’s and obtain SAAHE membership, please complete the membership form